


Phone Call

by Greeneyesblue



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-09 00:59:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8869591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greeneyesblue/pseuds/Greeneyesblue
Summary: He couldn't stop looking at it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My response to The Big Short prompt "lint."

He blinked back tears as he looked down to his lap. The shock of the news was just wearing off, and the fog of grief was a heavy weight descending over him now. His mother was gone. It was hard to even get his head around that concept, but his body was already reacting. Shaking and unnaturally cold, he sat in his office after hanging up the phone call that had informed him that his wonderful mother, Julie Coulson, had died in her sleep at her elder care facility in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Phil Coulson had known loss in his life. His father had died when he was young, and he’d certainly seen more than his share of it with S.H.I.E.L.D. He shouldn’t be reacting like this. He was trained to do better, to compartmentalize. His thoughts spun off into nothing but the pressing abstract sadness that enveloped him.

A solitary tear fell from his bent head, and his eyes finally focused on the point where it darkened the fabric of his pants. He started at that point for so long that his eyes started to lose focus once again, only to pull back to focus on a piece of lint just above his knee. Phil was usually obsessive about keeping his dark clothing free of lint, but in this moment he felt as if his arms were too heavy to move to reach into his desk drawer for the lint roller.

He couldn’t break his gaze from that stubborn piece of lint. She was gone, and now he had to live the rest of his life without her quiet love and support. It wasn’t like they talked or saw each other all that often. Phil took time when he could, but she understood him well enough to know he was married to his job, even though he couldn’t tell her exactly what that job was.

He wasn’t supposed to freeze up like this. That fucking piece of lint taunted him, as if to say that his display of emotion was weak. He should be able to open his drawer, pull out the lint roller, and clean up this problem like he did everything else. He couldn’t move.

“-okay?”

A voice registered in his thoughts as if from a distance. It took a few moments for his focus to clear enough to realize someone was speaking to him. Clint was standing in the door to his office.

“Coulson? You okay?” Clint repeated.

Clint’s voice finally pushed him to break his gaze from the lint on his pants, and look up. There was no chance of him schooling his expression. It was okay though. Clint loved him.

“What happened?” Clint moved quickly and gracefully to close the door and step forward to crouch next to Phil’s office chair.

Phil tried to clear his throat. “Mom is gone,” he croaked out anyway.

“Oh, Phil. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Clint reached out to place a hand over both of Phil’s where they lay limply in his lap. Phil looked down at Clint, unable to say anything else. What he saw in the other man’s eyes made new emotions wash over him again. Sadness, but also a steady resolve. Most importantly, love. They stayed in that position for a few moments in the silence of Phil’s office.

“There’s lint on my pants.”

Clint furrowed his brow in confusion. “What?”

“There’s lint on my pants.”

Clint followed Phil’s gaze to his knee, and smiled slightly at the tiny light colored fiber there. He deftly plucked it up between forefinger and thumb and brushed it off over the floor.

It was like Phil could breathe again. He turned a hand under Clint’s and twined their fingers together, squeezing gently.

“Thanks,” Phil said quiet, but more steadily.

He could do this. He could grieve and say goodbye to his mother. He could keep going. Keep living his life and doing his job. He could keep loving Clint, and know that Clint would be there to grieve and live and love with him. He let out a shaky sigh and straightened in his chair.

“I should make some phone calls.”

“Okay. I’ll go get you some fresh coffee.” Leave it to Clint to know the best way to support Phil. Not so close he felt smothered, not so far he felt alone.

Before Clint could stand, Phil turned and gently grabbed the sides of his face with both hands. He pulled Clint into a kiss that was tender and sweet. They didn’t need words between them in that moment to understand and give exactly what the other needed.


End file.
